Trip the Darkness
by nightfallsupernova
Summary: Damon finds Caroline in a bar in Europe and quickly finds out she is not who she was back in Mystic Falls and he is instantly drawn to the new and improved Caroline.


**a/n: i wrote this a short while ago and i wasnt going to put it up because its a little dark and out of character too but i thought, fuck it just put it up even if its only a oneshot...lol. enjoy.**

* * *

It had been five years since Caroline and Damon had left Mystic Falls individually and both for different reasons. Caroline left because the council knew about her and Damon left because he was sick of being walked all over and treated like dirt by Elena.

Elena had chose Stefan and turned into a vampire and neither of them spoke to Damon anymore as they both blamed him for making Elena choose between them and for her being a vampire.

The Originals had left now that Klaus was incapacitated due to a dark magic spell Bonnie had completed so they both stayed in Mystic Falls. Damon left town as he couldn't stomach Stefan and Elena anymore and it was also part of the deal he made with Stefan in that whoever Elena chose, the other would leave town.

He found out a few days after Elena turned that Caroline had left town with Tyler as the council knew about them both being part of the supernatural world. He was hurt to find she never told him she was leaving but then he was never exactly nice to her so he didn't blame her for just leaving in the dark of night without a word to anyone.

Damon was always a man of his word so he quietly slipped away in the dead of night knowing they would all be glad he was gone and not one of them would miss him or notice he had left. He spent the years drifting from place to place like a rolling stone, remaining a shadow lost in the darkness of the night always unseen until he needed to feed or for some meaningless comfort in the arms of a human or vampire who he would leave for dead the next morning.

He didn't care anymore deciding to give into his completely darkest side, the one he had before he came back to Mystic Falls. He knew he was just deluding himself into thinking he switched his emotions off again as Rose told him it was just a myth.

He felt everything and he hated it but the difference was he didn't care anymore, he didn't see why he should care about humans when all they done was hurt and betray him at every turn, never passing the opportunity to twist the knife Katherine placed in his stomach all those years ago that little bit more.

He was sitting in a dark corner of a bar somewhere in Europe with a bottle of whiskey and a glass that he compelled wondering why the hell everything never worked out for him and what was so special about Stefan.

He tossed back a drink rolling his eyes and mentally chastising himself for brooding like his brother but no matter how hard he tried to deny it, he couldn't hide that hollow feeling of feeling nothing but empty anymore and he hated it. He hated himself for being so weak, so pathetic and worse, so like Stefan in the feelings department wishing he could go back to who he was before he got Katherine out of the tomb.

He tried so hard to do it and while he killed people on a daily basis he wished he could rip his own heart out to get rid of the pain inside and put himself out of his misery but even then he thought he was still too pathetic to follow through with it.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there drowning in a bottle of whiskey, it could have been hours before he felt a familiar presence. He rolled his eyes hoping it wasn't who he thought it was as he wasn't in the mood to see Elena, Katherine or Stefan knowing he would kill them where they stood by ripping their spleen out just to feel better and never have to see them again and he didn't care if humans were in the room as with the mood his was in, he would kill them all to.

He loved a good massacre when it suited him but with modern day technology it wasn't so easy to do anymore and he knew the premises probably had security cameras somewhere so it wouldn't be one of his finest moves to reveal the existence of vampires to the world. He looked up scanning the room and that's when he saw her over at the bar compelling herself a whiskey, he could never not recognize that scent as it was his blood that turned her, he knew it was Caroline but he remained in the shadows knowing she wouldn't want to see him.

He thought the dog Tyler wouldn't be far behind her and he really didn't feeling like getting bitten again as once was enough. He was also surprised Bonnie hadn't tried to find a way to kill Tyler yet but then the Judgey witch was a fucking hypocrite just like Elena so it would be no surprise if he was still alive.

* * *

Caroline walked into the room heading straight for the bar and compelling herself a bottle of whiskey as she sat on the barstool. She was deep in thought and never noticed the presence watching her from across the room as she drank from the glass and refilled it.

When she left Mystic Falls with Tyler five years ago she only stayed with him for three months before she left him as he tried to bite her again and this time she didn't have Damon to help her, so she left, got as far away from him as she could after she told him to stay the hell away from her and never regretted it for a second. What hurt her more was that Elena no longer talked to her or wanted anything to do with her and Bonnie and Matt told her they wanted nothing more to do with her either as she was a vampire and they were human.

She also never heard anything about Stefan and assumed that Elena made her choice and that was why she never spoke to Stefan again and she knew if Elena was not talking to her anymore then neither would Stefan. She spent the last four and a half years traveling the world on her own using Damon's snatch, eat and erase technique.

She had also come across other vampires, some tried to kill her so she quickly learned how to fight and some other vampires she met were okay but not people you would consider a friend but more of an acquaintance or contact. She tossed back a drink before quietly sighing to herself wondering why no one from Mystic Falls wanted anything to do with her anymore.

She knew Stefan and Elena left town as Bonnie told her before she said none of them wanted anything to do with her, she then wondered where was Damon. She couldn't deny she thought about him a lot over the years and she always hoped he was okay and wondered if he was still alive.

Now that she had grown up a bit more she felt bad over the way she treated Damon but then she also knew she had more reason then anyone to hate him but she found she didn't hate him anymore, she just wished she could find him but then he probably wouldn't want to see her either.

She actually forgave him now as she could understand why he had done it as after Tyler tried to bite again her she switched off her emotions and used a few humans the way she was used by Damon. She wasn't sure if she still had them switched off but she knew she didn't care about anyone anymore as they all turned their back on her just to protect Elena and she hated it.

It was just another story of everyone choosing Elena over her and it hurt every time it happened but now she didn't care if she never saw Elena ever again. She was broken from her reverie feeling a pair of eyes on her back but she didn't let the presence know she knew they were watching her, instead she enhanced her senses and she recognized the scent.

She took another drink mentally cursing at herself for missing it knowing it was him, it was Damon. She didn't move but let him think she wasn't aware he was there and she couldn't hide the swelling feeling inside that he was still alive.

She had known for a long while that the way he was treated by everyone in Mystic Falls was horrible and that he didn't deserve it at all especially after all he did in trying to keep everyone alive even if it was mostly Elena. But she hated the way Elena played him and Stefan and she didn't blame Damon at all for making Elena choose between both of them as she had already tried to make Elena see that what she was doing wasn't fair to them but she failed.

* * *

Across the room Damon glanced at her again before he finished off his drink and refilling the glass waiting for her to just get up and walk out of the room and he knew that she knew he was there but she was ignoring him.

He didn't really blame her as he treated her horribly and it was something he regretted but would never admit but he didn't know she forgave him for it.

He was so deep in thought he didn't notice someone sit beside him lightly quipping "_of all the gin joints in the world" _in teasing tone.

He looked up to see her in front of him replying "_Blondie, lost your puppy" _sarcastically.

She laughed rolling her eyes replying "_he tried to bite me years ago so I got rid of him" _teasingly.

A silence fell as she took a drink from the glass before adding "_its nice to see you Damon, I know everything went to hell back then" _in a serious tone.

Damon picked up on it seeing in her expression that she meant it as he replied "_nice to see you too, I thought you never would want to see me ever again" _before taking a drink.

She softly smiled "_I've changed since then" _as she looked at him.

He looked at her replying "_think I have too, I don't know anymore" _so low she almost missed it.

He curiously asked "_have you heard from anyone since you left" _in a soft voice.

She shook her head replying "_no, Elena and Stefan want nothing more to do with me because they hate me, Bonnie and Matt said the same, I haven't seen Tyler in over four years since he tried to bite me again three months after we left, you were right about that one, I should have listened to you" _rolling her eyes.

Damon replied "_I'm sorry for that, I didn't want to be right" _in a genuine tone.

She picked up on it slightly shaking her head in acceptance before replying "_what about you" _curiously.

Damon tossed back his drink in one go before replying "_same as you, but then that doesn't surprise me, I think they are all happy to finally be rid of me, its always that way for me" _rolling his eyes as he refilled his glass.

He topped up her glass when she replied "_I'm sorry, you don't deserve that, you didn't deserve to be played by Elena like that" _in a softy tone as she looked at him.

Damon was visibly surprised to which she slightly laughed adding "_I know they might not have given you a thought but I have thought about you over the years, I missed you" _before tossing back her drink.

He smirked hiding his surprise by refilling her glass replying "_careful Blondie, I might start to think you care" _teasingly.

She slightly laughed replying "_what makes you think I don't, I wouldn't be here if I didn't" _playfully. He rolled his eyes figuring she had a point as he replied "_that's true" _knowing she was right.

There was comfortable silence before he added "_I cant believe they said that to you, I'm used to people hating me but they were wrong for saying that to you" _firmly.

She looked up at him replying "_you don't know why they hate me do you" _curiously.

He shook his head signaling that he didn't so she added "_they hate me because I'm a vampire and I told Elena plenty of times what she was doing to you was unfair but they didn't care, they hated that I took your side over making Elena choose, I told them you had a right to know and that Elena had to make a choice because she was being unfair to you and that she doesn't deserve you over the way she treated you" _in a soft tone.

Damon hid his surprise replying "_I can see why they hate you, you took my side over Elena's, that's why" _rolling his eyes.

She softly smiled at him as she took a drink from the glass.

Damon was shocked that she defended him as he added "_but thank you for saying that to them" _genuinely.

She replied "_I just told them what needed to be said and it was true, you didn't deserve it and I would rather have nothing to do with them anymore to be honest" _before tossing back her drink.

Damon softly smiled at her realizing she was not the person she was back in Mystic Falls replying "_you've changed, I like it" _slightly smirking at her.

Caroline rolled her eyes telling him "_I could say the same for you, there was a day where we both hated each other" _in a light tone as she took a drink from her glass.

Damon tossed back his drink before replying "_well a lot has happened since then" _in a soft tone.

Caroline teasingly quipped "_you mean now that you are no longer pining after Elena or are you still wanting her" _in a curious tone with no hostility.

Caroline looked at him as he remained silent hoping that he wasn't still pining after Elena as she thought he could do so much better then the doppelganger.

Damon silently thought about it and was surprised to find he hadn't thought of Elena much since he left Mystic Falls after she made her choice and he realized he probably never loved her at all if he just forgot about her after a few months.

He decided to drink straight from the bottle before he replied "_no I'm over her, she wasn't worth wasting my time over" _before falling silent.

Caroline quizzically looked at him hiding her relief as she added "_what makes you say that" _curiously.

She didn't add how she thought Elena was just an infatuation or a rebound from Katherine as she didn't want to piss him off thinking he was probably still the same Damon she knew back in Mystic Falls but another part of her just wanted to hear him say that so she remained silent.

Damon pushed on replying "_wasn't it obvious, I come back for Katherine to find she isn't in the tomb and then the girl who looks like her in every way pays me a bit of attention and then I fall for it"_ in a self deprecating tone.

He rolled his eyes adding "_if that doesn't scream rebound, then I don't what does, it just shows how pathetic and stupid I really am" _before tossing back a drink from the bottle.

Caroline moved her hand to grip his leaning forward replying "_but your not anymore so that's a good thing" _with a soft smile.

Damon rolled his eyes deciding to toss back a drink before replying "_maybe so but it doesn't change the fact that I became Stefan" _not hiding the disgust in his voice.

Caroline replied "_no your wrong, Stefan is the one still pining after her and he is also a hypocrite, so your nothing like him" _firmly as she looked at him. Damon smirked at her hiding his surprise replying "_careful, I may start to think you care" _teasingly.

Caroline rolled her eyes replying "_who says I don't" _teasingly.

Damon slightly laughed as she tossed back her drink putting the empty glass on the table softly replying "_you could have found me but you didn't" _indifferently as he looked at her.

She remained silent softly smiling before replying "_I thought about it but figured you wouldn't want to see me" _in a regretful tone.

Damon slightly smirked tossing back a drink from the glass before replying "_I thought you wouldn't want to see me but then we both know you have plenty of reasons not to" _as he refilled the glass.

They fell into a short silence before she replied "_I'm over it so don't beat yourself up about it" _firmly in a nonchalant tone.

He slightly shook his head taking the hint as she added "_we can start over if you want" _curiously.

He replied "_I would like that" _in a soft tone. Damon hid his surprise at her words even though he was internally shocked she was making the effort with him as no one had ever bothered to do that before in his life even when he was human.

A silence fell before he curiously asked _"are you still on the human blood" _in a hushed tone.

She rolled her eyes replying "_yeah but I prefer the fresh stuff now, its not so easy to get the bagged stuff in Europe plus fresh is nicer I feel stronger too" _proudly.

He smirked replying "_about time you realized that" _before drinking from the bottle.

There was a comfortable silence before she looked at him curiously asking "_so any other girl on your radar" _teasingly as she refilled her glass.

Damon rolled his eyes dramatically replying "_so I can keep repeating my mistakes, no thank you" _sarcastically.

Caroline looked at him replying "_so stop repeating them" _in a soft tone.

Damon sighed feeling so frustrated thinking it wasn't that simple firmly replying "_a bit hard after a century and a half" _furrowing his eyebrows.

She replied "_so take the Katherine, Elena thing as a learning experience" _softly.

He thought about it replying "_that's just it, I never do learn, I just keep doing it over and over again only this time I'm done, I don't care anymore, maybe I'm just better off alone" _before tossing back a drink.

He knew he was never one to learn anyway adding "_it would make no difference anyway, Elena was right about me and so was Stefan, if you had any sense you would walk right out that door right now, I'm not good, I'm never going to adopt a puppy, I'm not going to be what Elena thinks or anyone else thinks I should be" _disdainfully before refilling his glass.

He thought he done it this time, that she would get up and walk out the door like everyone else always done over the last century and a half. But he also knew he was no liar, he was never good at pretending to be something he wasn't as that was Stefan's thing but not his as he always found that being something you weren't always led to getting caught up in all the lies you sell to other people and then you cant tell the truth from the lies anymore.

He never had any time for that bullshit even when he was human and it was a society full of hypocrites and liars pretending to be something they were not just to measure up to social standards and expectations of 1864.

Him being different and never bending to these rules was the main reason his father hated him back when he was human but all Damon could ever be was himself and that didn't change when he turned into a vampire and Damon told her this.

Caroline thought about it before firmly replying "_good, they can all go to hell anyway" _looking intensively at him.

Damon was drunk so he failed to hide his shocked expression and she noticed it adding "_lighten up Damon, we're vampires, not humans, who says we have to live by their rules" _teasingly as she rolled her eyes.

She added "_at least that was what Klaus told me when he gave me the cure back in Mystic Falls, I'm starting to think he is right" _before taking a drink from her glass.

He knew she meant it picking up on the seriousness in her tone curiously asking "_have you been munching on the blood source" _in a teasing whisper.

Caroline laughed replying "_maybe, I've been screwed over so much Damon, I don't care anymore, I will let you in on a little secret, I flipped the switch on all that crap after Tyler tried to bite me again after all the drama in Mystic Falls" _nonchalantly.

Damon internally groaned knowing she meant it and from his own experience that it wouldn't end well replying "_that's a bad idea, it will backfire on you" _in a concerned tone remembering what he went through when he started to feel again.

Caroline rolled her eyes replying "_come on Damon, don't tell me it didn't feel good because you know it does" _before tossing back a drink.

Damon slightly shook his head replying "_I know it does but the switch is a myth, you think it is real but then one day you start to feel everything and it nearly destroyed me, can you deal with that when it happens after a century and a half of slaughtering everything in sight" _in a hushed whisper wondering what the hell happened to her in the last five years.

Caroline dismissed him with a wave of her hand replying "_what ever Damon, its not like you care anyway, you hated me back then and you know it" _firmly hoping the hurt in her voice wasn't noticeable.

Damon noticed the coldness in her voice and ignored her words knowing she was deflecting as he done it all the time with Stefan when he started on one of his daily lectures.

He wondered why he suddenly did care about her even though she was right in what she said, but he meant it when he said he was not who he was back then and this cold version of Caroline scared him, it almost reminded him of when he first turned and flipped the switch. He watched her look around the nearly empty room as it was nearly closing time and he was even more shocked when she got up and walked over to a human and compelled them to follow her over to the booth they were sitting in and she fed on the human beside her where anyone could see.

Damon baulked at her actions as she looked at him holding out the wrist of the human girl she was feeding on whispering "_she's all yours if you think you can do it" _teasingly. Damon seethed retorting "_are you fucking crazy" _in a whisper.

Caroline darkly chuckled replying "_come on half the fun is doing it knowing you could be caught, don't tell me you have never done it" _firmly.

Damon remained silent as she teasingly added "_we both know you have" _slightly raising her eyebrow.

Damon knew she was right as he had done it himself as he replied "_yeah but never in plain sight" _softly.

He couldn't hide the adrenaline rush he was feeling as he remembered doing stuff like this back in the day before he came back to Mystic Falls for Katherine as he watched her intensively with a growing smirk.

She noticed the internal battle in his eyes but his smirk told her she was appealing to his darkness that he had inside as she huskily whispered "_follow me Damon, I'm waiting for you" _with an amused expression playfully biting her lip as she looked at him.

He rolled his eyes in amusement at her choice of tempting words replying "_you don't need to tempt me, I would follow you anywhere, besides I can show you riskier things then this" _huskily as he raised his eyebrow.

She chuckled replying "_oh I know you could, why do you think I looked for you" _as she looked at him.

He rolled his eyes with a smirk as he reached over the table taking the girl's wrist from Caroline's and biting into it knowing the other people in the room were too drunk to notice and the corner they were in was dark enough too so even if they were caught he could just compel them to forget they saw anything.

He finished feeding letting the wrist drop as he licked the blood from his lips replying "_I knew you looked for me" _cockily hiding his surprise.

She smirked replying "_cocky much" _slightly laughing keeping her eyes on him.

He laughed remembering the first time she said that to him replying "_very much" _huskily looking intensively at her.

He couldn't help wonder where this side of her was coming from and even more surprising was that she willingly looked for him, no one had ever done that before and if he was honest he was shocked.

He curiously asked "_why would you look for me and not Elena or Stefan" _before filling up their glasses with bourbon.

She softly smiled replying "_your more fun then those two" _with no hesitation.

He was visibly surprised and she was shocked to see it so she added "_Elena and Stefan will be somewhere brooding their asses off for eternity, I'd rather spend my eternity enjoying it as a vampire, not a human with fangs" _disdainfully.

He slightly chuckled at her words replying "_about time you saw the light, maybe I should too" _rolling his eyes at the last four words.

Caroline took a drink before replying "_you know what your missing" _looking at him with a lustful stare.

They were interrupted when the bartender came over to tell them they were closing for the night and Damon was surprised when she compelled him to go away and ignore them.

When the man walked away Caroline laughed when Damon told her "_you weren't kidding when you said you wanted to be a proper vampire" _with surprise in his voice.

Caroline rolled her eyes not hiding her amused expression as she grabbed the girl beside her and bit into her neck draining her dry of blood before letting her fall back on the seat.

Damon watched her feed off the girl not able to hide the lust he was feeling for Caroline and it surprised him when she looked at him lustfully lightly quipping "_so what are these riskier things you have done" _flirtatiously.

Damon looked at her intensively replying "_I think you already know" _suggestively.

Caroline rolled her eyes knowing what he meant glancing around the room seeing the bar was nearly empty with only a few people left sitting with their backs to them at the bar.

She knew what he was suggesting and she couldn't hide the adrenaline rush she felt slightly shaking her head as she turned back to look at him in amusement replying "_only you would do something like that" _in disbelief.

He slightly laughed waiting for her to back out as he thought she wouldn't go through with it but he was surprised when she stood up and moved to straddle him and he couldn't hide the growing smirk on his face.

He teasingly quipped "_didn't know you had it in you Blondie" _to which she rolled her eyes.

She looked at him lustfully whispering "_there is a lot of things I have in me and want in me" _before crashing her lips to his and he didn't miss the innuendo in her words.

He pulled her closer to him resting his hands on her hips softly moaning as she slowly moved against him and he could smell how much she wanted him and he didn't know if it was the bottle of bourbon they both drank but he didn't want this to end and he knew she was going where he wanted to go.

When they finished she closed his jeans as he rested his head against the board behind him to which she slightly laughed at his clearly fucked expression. He rolled his eyes replying "_that was something else, I really didn't think you would go that far" _in a soft whisper. She rolled her eyes replying _"never thought I would hear you say that" _slightly laughing.

She was about to get off him when he grabbed her, pulling her in for another kiss to which she softly moaned against his touch before he let her go and watched her silently as she got up and put her jeans on.

They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat and telling them they were phoning the police to which Caroline kept her eyes on Damon whispering "_guess dinner is here" _in an amused tone.

Damon laughed at her choice of words feeling stunned silent when she let her face change and rushed at one of the humans and fed on them taking every drop of blood they had before letting them fall to the floor.

Caroline noticed the person behind the bar darkly chuckling at their horrified expression as she licked the blood off her lips before looking at Damon lightly quipping "_all yours" _nonchalantly.

Damon looked over at the only human left in the room and when he saw the person run for the door he rushed at him using his speed to grab them and sink his teeth into their neck tasting the blood run down his throat before letting them fall to the floor dead. He licked his lips thinking how much he missed this as he watched Caroline search the premises for security footage and destroy it before she tossed alcohol all over the room and dumping the two bodies in the middle of the floor before reaching into her pocket to pull out a lighter and set them on fire.

She walked past Damon with a smirk on her face and when she was halfway out the door she turned to face him adding "_come with me, I'm waiting for you" _in a soft tone as she smiled at him before leaving the building.

Damon watched the flames slowly engulf the building before he ran out the door and when he got outside he noticed she was gone.

* * *

He couldn't believe how the night turned out, he was sitting there all alone and then she walked in and turned his whole world upside down in the space of a few hours. He was drowning his misery in a bottle of bourbon and then she comes along and steamrolls him completely as he wondered how she had changed so much.

He knew she was no longer the person she was back in Mystic Falls, she was a vampire and acted like one too and it was what the had been searching for all along when he was trying to get Katherine out of the tomb. All he wanted was someone to spend his eternity with, someone who would give into their darkest side just like he did and he just found it in Caroline and she more or less told him to she wanted him which was even better.

As he ran down the street after her he heard the bar he was in explode behind him thinking she was crazy but the funny thing was he loved that side of her, he was like a moth to the flame now, he couldn't stay away from her even if he wanted to and what surprised him was he didn't want to be without her now that her scent was all over him and it was intoxicating.

He followed her scent all over town searching for her and he knew she had covered up her tracks as he couldn't find her. But he had a suspicion she was watching him from somewhere only this time unlike Katherine, he knew that Caroline would find him again and he thought she might want him too since she admitted to looking for him.

The only thing was he was going to find her first because after the show she put on for him, he knew he couldn't be alone anymore, he found someone to share his dark side, someone who would dive into the same destruction and carnage he loved to cause over the years before he met Elena and it appealed to the darkest side of him.

He was pleasantly surprised at the carnage she caused in the bar and the fact she set it on fire was an even bigger surprise as he had never gone that far before but after tonight he decided to flip the switch and join her in darkness. He softly spoke into the cool night air "_I will find you" _looking out into the darkness knowing she had no place to hide.

* * *

The next night he was walking down a quiet street when he spotted her in the distance and glancing around to check no one would see him, he moved at vampire speed to catch up with her dragging her into the alley beside her and pinning her against wall with his hand on her throat.

She looked at him intensively quipping "_so you found me, about time too" _teasingly.

He darkly smirked replying "_I knew you heard me_" letting her know he knew she was around to which she chuckled before crashing her lips on his to which he pushed himself against her.

He pulled back as she looked at him with an open expression replying "_I wouldn't have left without you, I want you with me because I like you" _softly.

He was stunned silent at her words not hiding his shocked expression that someone actually wanted him and at the fact she meant it too.

She kissed him again bringing him out of his reverie to which she slightly laughed as he rolled his eyes before replying "_I feel the same about you after the other night and if you switch it off, then I am too" _firmly before he kissed her.

She looked at him replying "_wouldn't have it any other way" _teasingly.

He darkly chuckled replying "_ready for some carnage" _looking at her mischievously.

She laughed replying "_hell yeah" _slightly laughing.

He stood back pulling her up against him replying "_about time" _with a cool smirk.

He took her hand in his replying "_lets go have ourselves a massacre" _teasingly to which she laughed as they left the alleyway thinking of all the different ways they could give into the darkest side of being vampire.

Caroline felt so glad she went looking for him as she thought there was no one better then him to teach her all about giving into being a vampire and she knew he was going to love every second of it all especially if it was with Damon.

* * *

**thanks for reading.**


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